A Communist in the Family ... searching for Rewi Alley

There are four main reasons that led me to offer a review of a book on Rewi Alley.

Firstly, a number of Alley family members were (and still are) closely associated with NZ Methodism, notably current Deacon Megan Alley, past presbyters Don and David Alley and lay leader Digger Alley of New Plymouth. The book’s author is also a cousin of Rewi Alley and was part of a China sponsored visit of the Alley family and others to visit China in 2017 to celebrate 90 years since Rewi arrived in China in 1927.

Secondly, the book covers a good cross section of China’s history and notably its literary history and poetry in particular, in which Rewi indulged.

Thirdly, whilst Rewi was assumed to have become a communist, it’s more accurate to state that he embraced a form of socialism compatible with the Christian values of his childhood which he tailored to survive within a political setting, increasingly intolerant of its colonial and missionary dominated past.

Fourthly, Rewi Alley is undoubtedly a celebrated Kiwi for his outstanding achievements in China and for becoming an important bridging person between NZ and China, and eventually recognised as such by both countries. It wasn’t always an easy role to perform.

Born in Springfield, Canterbury to an authoritarian headmaster father and a doting mother, Rewi attended primary schools in Amberley and Riccarton, and later, Christchurch Boys’ High School. He was named Rewi by an aunt who was impressed with the reputation of Maniapoto Chief Rewi who led the Kingitanga resistance to the land grab of the British administration.

Following service in WW1, Rewi and a friend tried farming inhospitable land at Moeawatea in East Taranaki before Rewi decided to head for China via a stint in Sydney. Meeting Chinese soldiers from the British Labour Corps during the war may have stimulated Rewi’s interest in China.

Arriving in Shanghai, he acquired employment as an industrial fire safety officer but was quickly disillusioned by the abusive treatment of children and the poor in the industrial sector, aided and abetted by colonial powers still resident in China.

Meanwhile Japan was invading Manchuria province and a socialist revolution was stirring amongst the huge rural population as well as the urban poor, led brilliantly by Mao Zedong. Vested interests stayed with Chiang Kai-shek’s anti-communist KMT army.

For a while, the two movements worked together to confront the Japanese whose conquest was spreading. Initially, Rewi straddled both movements whilst attempting to improve working conditions where he could, whilst simultaneously promoting education for disposed children and work cooperatives for rural and urban poor. Eventually Rewi’s base became an innovative rural school, first in Shuangshipu in Shaanxi province and latterly in Shandan in Gansu province.

Inevitably, as the internal revolution developed, Rewi had to take sides and threw his lot in with Mao’s movement. There were tense moments when his school community was challenged by Chiang Kai-shek’s troops. With Mao’s eventual triumph, the way was open for the cooperative worker movement and related schools to really take off, and and at one time there were over 5000 worker cooperatives throughout China. The movement was called ‘Gung Ho’ (“working together”) and had parallels with the socialism of the early church where, as recorded in the book of Acts, most things were held in common.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) Rewi survived the ‘Gang of Four’ purges largely through his close associations with influential civic leaders.

He also survived early suspicions in NZ of being a communist stooge but proved he was a compatriot of both countries which years later bore rich rewards for NZ in being the first Western country to achieve a significant trade agreement with China.

Rewi Alley of course did not accomplish his considerable achievements alone. He was greatly helped by other expats, notably George Hogg of England and Agnes Smedley of the USA, but his real genius lay in his total absorption into Chinese culture, language and literary history and his cultivation of and real friendship with a wide range of Chinese civil leaders. This opened many doors for him which included becoming an international peace ambassador for China in his retirement years.

Rewi never married but he did adopt a number of Chinese sons. He also stayed closely in touch with his NZ family until his death in 1987, aged 90.